MID-CITY — The UCLA Hospital System is expanding its presence in Santa Monica with a 30-year deal to occupy a new outpatient surgery facility to be built on 16th Street. The three-story, 45,000 square-foot project is planned for a parking lot across the street from the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital and... Read more →

The Santa Monica Conservancy is seeking volunteers for a new docent training class for the Annenberg Community Beach House at 415 Pacific Coast Highway. The conservancy, in partnership with the city of Santa Monica, trains docents to give guided tours of the site, which opened to great acclaim last spring. The Annenberg Community Beach... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — On Monday morning Santa Monicans who deposit their checks at First Regional Bank were in for a surprise. The bank, which had a branch at 501 Santa Monica Blvd., was seized by federal regulators over the weekend and quickly sold off to Raleigh, N.C.-based First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Its failure was blamed on... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk What are the environmental implications of all the food we throw away here in the United States? Mike Schiller Cambridge, MA Food waste is a huge issue in America, especially in light of the growing divide between the profligate rich and the hungry poor. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Loss... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — School board members have already decided to ask Santa Monica and Malibu residents to pay more to offset lower state spending on public education. Tonight, they’ll decide how much to ask voters to fork over. Facing at least a $12 million budget gap, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board is aiming... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Glyn Judson is one proud parent — even though his kids are a little hairy and might drool sometimes. Judson raises puppies for Guide Dogs of America, the national group that trains companion dogs for blind people. He takes in puppies from the GDA school in Silmar, Calif. when they are about seven weeks old, and... Read more →

MALIBU — For the first time in more than two decades, Santa Monica College will offer courses for credit here as part of a pilot program that will help develop a plan for a permanent campus in the Civic Center, something which the college is required to do as part of a 2004 bond measure, officials with SMC announced Friday. The... Read more →

The Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division is now asking local artists to submit proposals for the upcoming biannual nighttime event, GLOW. GLOW highlights temporary art installations from Los Angeles County artists, which will be featured this year on the Santa Monica Beach, Palisades Park and other local areas. The event first took place... Read more →

LOS ANGELES — No delays are expected to result from the revocation of a permit that allowed around the clock construction on the Expo Line that will come to Santa Monica in its second phase. However, delays may occur if the second phase’s environmental impact report does not pass its Feb. 4 review. Rick Thorpe, Expo Authority... Read more →

CITY HALL — Advocates for better public parks in Santa Monica are pressing the City Council to increase a tax on new residential units that pays for recreational facilities. City Hall charges developers a $200 tax per residential unit constructed — an amount that’s been constant since the tax was created in 1973. In a... Read more →

Crime Watch is a weekly series culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 3:52 a.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the area of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard regarding a fight in... Read more →

Starting tonight, Main Street will be open late the last Friday of each month, with participating businesses offering special activities. The restaurants, boutiques and cafes along Main Street, which stretches south of Pico Boulevard to the Santa Monica city limit, are planning a multitude of events and discounts for these month-ending... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The Great Treasure Hunt has brought its search to Santa Monica, and residents are digging up buried gems to exchange for some treasure of their own. The North Carolina-based company, operating in the style of “Antiques Roadshow,” sent a crew of three to see what locals here had to offer, led by team captain... Read more →

SM BAY — Students at Santa Monica High School were shocked to see extremely high levels of bacteria present in the waters here following last week’s heavy rains. The students, enrolled in the Surfrider Teach & Test program monitoring water quality in the Santa Monica Bay, found bacteria levels weighing in at more than... Read more →